Many companies seem to have a difficult time locating and maintaining quality employees. If your company seems to be limited by employee problems including a high turnover rate, high incidence of absenteeism, sub-par job performance, frequent accidents and/or common workers’ compensationclaims then drug testing could save you money. It has been reported in, In Favor of a Drug Free Workplace: Why Drug Testing?, that the US Navy estimated a $10 savings on every $1 spent on drug testing and the average cost of each drug abusing employee is about $6,600 per year. If you are still not convinced of the benefits your company could gain from implementing a drug testing program then refer to these research and statistics.

• Research:
  • Studies of the workforce show that almost nine percent of employees were victims of drug abuse.
  • Almost twelve percent of job applicants tested positive for drugs.
  • The results from a study by the Xerox company demonstrated that accidents in the workplace were reduced after weeding out the employees found guilty of drug abuse.
  • Random and pre-employment drug testing has been shown to bring down the health claims of employees by almost sixty five percent.
  • It is clear that investing in a drug-testing program has been tested and proven to enhance productivity and reduce healthcare costs of companies.

• II. Short Term Benefits:
  1. Cost Savings and Incentive Programs are Offered by:
     • i. Medical & Health Insurance Carriers
     • ii. Property, Casualty, and Liability Insurance Carriers
     • iii. Workers’ Compensation Insurance Carriers
  2. Decreases chances that a current drug user or abuser will apply for/be hired for a job at your company.
  3. Decreased Accidents
  4. Decreased Disciplinary Actions
  5. Decreased absenteeism, theft, and fraud.

• III. Long Term Benefits:
  1. Increased employee morale and productivity.
  2. Decreased costs associated with losses and errors.
  3. Increased employee awareness about alcohol and other drug/health related issues.
  4. Earlier identification and resolution of problems affecting job performance.
  5. Decreased legal costs.
  6. Less turnover which leads to decreased costs associated with hiring and training new employees.

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We will be glad to discuss the best option(s) to set up a drug-testing program for your company.

Many companies wonder if  drug testing their employees would be beneficial.  When the cost, prevalence, and liability of drug abusers in the workplace is analyzed a company truly cannot afford to abstain from drug testing its employees.   Studies have revealed that one out of every six workers has a problem with drugs.  It has been estimated that drug abusers cost employers up to $100 billion in lost productivity per year, are absent from work up to twenty times more often than non-drug users, and cost companies 300% more in medical costs and benefits.  As you read these astounding statistics it should come as no surprise that the majority of all Fortune 500 Companies perform drug testing on their employees.  Drug testing can be a very useful tool to protect your company from liability, but there are many options to consider to ensure your program is legal and efficient.  You should seek guidance from a professional while developing or enhancing  a personalized drug testing program. 

Urine drug testing is the most common form of drug testing utilized.   Urine testing can be performed at a laboratory or via an instant test.  Instant urine testing has several pros and cons.  Instant tests will yield negative results within minutes as compared to the 24 – 72 hours required for some laboratory based testing.   However, the non-negative results must be treated with caution as there is a small chance of cross reactivity which could result in a false positive.  The accuracy rate of instant tests ranges between 95% – 99% depending on which drug is being tested for.  Mississippi law requires that any non-negative instant test for employment purposes be sent to a SAMSHA based laboratory for confirmation testing and be reviewed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) to prevent misinterpretation of a false positive.  Like laboratory testing, instant tests offer great flexibility as they may be configured into different options to achieve the most precise drug test for your specific situation.  Instant urine testing is typically more cost effective than laboratory based testing, but there is an associated fee for the confirmation laboratory test of a non-negative instant result. 

You or your designated employer representative (DER) should work closely with a specialized and experienced drug testing facility to ensure that the appropriate specimen is being tested, the correct drugs are being tested, and that your company’s drug testing program is compliant with local drug testing laws.